The invention relates primarily to pet feeding dishes designed to exclude insects, birds, rodents and other pest, and also to variable-height pet dishes which are elevated both to reduce access to the food by pests and to enable large dogs to eat in a normal standing position.
The contamination as well as consumption of pet food by pests is an old problem, especially in the summertime when dogs and other pets are often fed out of doors, and the general concept of providing a pest-free feeding dish is also old as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 2,584,310. However, that structure, while perhaps helpful in excluding crawling insects, is not effective in elimating flying insects and birds, which are generally a greater threat. In addition to preventing access to pet food by pests, it is desireable that the elevation of pet's food be approximately that of his head to enable the pet to feed without bending down and cramping his stomach and digestive system.